Centrifugal machine



`(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. WL'APPBRTY., GENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

No. 422,083. Patented Peb. 25, 1890 wl-TN-Esys'ss:

(No Model.) y 2 sheets-sheen 2.

H. W. LAFFERTY, f

GENTRIFUGAL MACHINE. No. 422,083. Patented Feb. 25, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

HUGH V. LAFFERTY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAXVARE.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 422,083, dated February25, 1890..

Application filed August 12, 1889. lSerial No. 320,467. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HUGH W. LAEEERTY, of

Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, haveinvented a cert-ain new and useful Improvement in Centrifugal Machines,of which improvement the following is a specification.4

My invention relates to machines for the separation of mingled solid andliquid matters by centrifugal force, of the class or type in which thecharge to be treated is passed between an innerimperforatereceiving-vessel and an outer perforated drum or basket, theliquid constituents of the charge being drained oif through theperforations of the latter and the solid constituents discharged overits top.

The object of my invention is to facilitate and perfect the operation ofmachines of the above character by the provision of simple and effectivemeans for so regulating the upward and outward traverse of the solidportions as to prevent the formation of lumps or cakes therein andinsure the thorough extraction of the liquid portions therefrom. Theimprovement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a' vertical central sectionthrough a centrifu-I gal machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a planor top view of the same with the spindle and sleeve in section Figs. 3and 4, hori- Zontal sections at the lines o: and y y, respectively, ofFig. 1; Figs. 5 and 6, transverse sections, on an enlarged scale,through 'por tions of the receiving-vessel and basket, illustratingdifferent forms of regulating-projections, and Fig. 7 a view inelevation of a portion of the shell or body of the basket.-

ln the practice of my in vention 1 provide a stationary outer casing 1,which is preferably, as shown, of cylindrical form, and is supportedupon a suitable base 2, which rests upon a iioor or other foundation.

tom of the casing 1 is turned upwardly toward a circular opening 3 atits center, forming an annular circumferential channel 4, which isprovided with a discliarge-spout 5. A trough or channel 6, having adischargespout 7, surrounds the casing 1. below its top,

and serves to receive the solid portions of the charge as delivered inthe operation of the machine.

A perforated separating drum or basket 8, having the form of an invertedfrustum of a cone, is secured at its bottom to a hub or boss 9, which isfixed upon the lower end of a spindle 10, which is supported andsteadied near its upper end on annular bearings 1l 12, fitted in avertical frame or standard 13, which is fixed to the iioor or foundationadjacent to the casing 1, the spindle being so located verticallyrelatively to the casing that the top of the basket S may projectslightly above the top of the casing, the boss 9 and lower end of thespindle extending below the bottom of the casing through the opening 3therein.

The spindle 10 carries near its upper end a driving-pulley 14., and isrotated by .a belt 15 from a prime mover or countershaft passing aroundsaid pulley. The upper bearingrings 11 of the spindle rest incylindrical oilbox 26,fornied on the lining of the'cylindrical bearing12, and held against rotation by pins 27, fitting in grooves in the topof the frame 13. The basket S is formed of an outer shell having aseries of perforations 22 and a lining of coarse and fine wire-netting23, being in this particular similar to those heretofore employed.4

A sleeve or tubular shaft 16 incloses the spindle 10, fitting at itsupper and lower ends freely around the spindle, and is supported by anut 17, formed in two sections connected by bolts 1S, and engaging ascrew-thread cut upon the spindle. The sleeve 1G has fixed upon itsupper end a sleeve 19, which is provided vvith an annularcircumferential groove engaged by a corresponding bearing-flange on thesupporting-nut 17. The sectional construction of the nut 17 admits ofits ready connection and removal, and by its vertical adjustment on thescrew-thread of the spindle 10 the sleeve 1 6 and connectedreceivingvessel, to be presently described, may be raised and lowered asdesired, the sleeve being held in adjusted position by a lock-nut 20,engaging the screw-thread of the spindle above the nut 17. Rotation isimparted to the sleeve 16,

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independently of the spindle l0, by a drivingbelt 20, passing around oneof the faces of a cone-pulley 2l, secured upon the sleeve 19.

An open-topped receiving-vessel 24, corresponding substantially in formwith the separating-basket 8 and having openings 25 in its bottom, isformed or fixed upon the lower end of the sleeve 16, the top of thevessel 24 projecting outwardly slightly beyond that of the basket 8. Thereceiving-vessel into which the charge of material to be treated issupplied may be formed, as shown, of different inclination in transversesection from the basket 8, so as to gradually vary the transversesection of the space between its outer face and the basket, throughwhich space the material passes upwardly and outwardly during theseparating operation. In order to retard and properly regulate thetraverse of the solid portions, and thereby to insure, as far as prac-'ticable, the thorough extraction of the liquid, as well as to effect andmaintain a complete disintegration of the solid portions and prevent theformation of cakes or lumps therein, I provide the outer face of thereceiving-Ves sel 24 with a series of teeth or isolated projections 26,which extend from said face throughout substantially the entire spacebetween the same and the basket, nearly up to the lining 23 of thelatter-that is to say, to within such distance therefrom as will besuficient to prevent contact therewith in the rotation of thereceiving-vessel and drum.

The projections 26 are preferably formed of metal wires or rods of smalldiameter, the

v same being adapted to be readily secured to the receiving-vessel 24,but it will be obvious that they might be made integral therewith, ifdesired. As illustrated in Fig. 5, they are formed of bundles or brushesof wire, the wires of each brush being passed through two adjacent holesin the receiving-vessel and extending outwardly therefrom, while in Fig.6 single rods of larger diameter bent into U form are similarly passedthrough holes in the receiving-vessel. In either case the rods or wiresmay be quickly and conveniently fixed in position and replaced by newones when broken or worn out, The projections 26 are shown in Fig. lasarranged in circular series around the periphery of the receiving-vessel; but I prefer to locate them thereon in helical rows,similarly to the arrangement of the perforations 22 of theseparating-basket, as indicated on the right hand of the same figure,their dimensions and relative distance apart being varied in thediscretion of the constructor, and depending to some extent upon thecharacteristics of the material upon which the machine is designed tooperate.

It will be seen that by the provision of the projections 26 thedischarging-space is divided into a` series of communicating ave nues orpassages through which the material passes during the process ofseparation, and in addition to being retarded by the proj ecv cal outerperforated separating-vessel and a t continuous tions so as to preventan unduly rapid discharge of the solid constituents and 'insufficientextraction of liquid, the solid constituents are maintained in adisintegrated con- 7o dition, and the formation of lumps, which hasheretofore been a material objection, is effectually obviated. rIlleprojections 26 also tend to prevent the clogging of the lining of thebasket by the adherence of solid matter there- 7 5 to and the irregulardischarge and interference with proper balance, which is occasioned byvthe perfor-ations of the basket becoming obstructed or gummed up onportions of its surface and remaining comparatively free on others. Inoperation the charge of wet or semi-fluid material is fed into thereceiving-vessel 24, and the spindle l0 an-d sleeve 16 are preferablyrotated at different speeds, such independent movement of thereceiving-vessel and basket acting, in connection with the projections26, to further promote theretarding and regulating action of theprojections. The disintegrated and dried solid constituents aredelivered over the top of the basket S/into the trough 6, and the liquidportion vis discharged through the perforations of the basket into thelower channel 4, from which they are drawn olf through the spout 5.

I do not limit myself to a construction in which the projections 26 aresecured to the. receiving-vessel, as they may be fixed on` the basket8', if preferred, without variation of function or departure from thespirit of my invention. The former construction is, how- IOO . ever, forstructural reasons, deemed by me to.

be most advantageous in practice.

I am awarethat the combination of a coniv corresponding inner receivingvessel pro.- vided with external helicoidal blades or flanges extendingthroughout the space be.- tween the two vessels was known inthe artprior to my invention, andl such, or any equivalent constructiomI herebydistinctly disclaim. The essential and substantial difference be` tweencentrifugal machines of such description` and my present invention liesin the fact that in theformer the helicoidal blades form anduninterrupted conduits through which the material under treatment passesfrom the point of reception to that of delivery, and is neithersubjected to` any disintegrating action nor as fully retarded as Iv havefound in practice to be desirable in attaining themost perfectk results.Under my invention no continuous or unbroken passage is afforded, but,on the contrary,vthe provision of a multiple series of isolatedtooth-like projections breaks up or divides the space between the innerand outer vessels into numerous intercommunicating smallerspaces, theteeth acting upon the outgoing material analogously to those of a seriesof coarse combs, both in breaking up lumps and preventing suchunduly-rapid movem cnt as would tend to induce imperfect or incompleteseparation of the solid and liquid portions of the charge.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. In acentrifugal inachine, the combinaof an outer casing, a conicalseparating druin or basket and a conical receiving-Vessel, each adaptedto rotate Within the casing, and a series of retarding and regulatingteeth or isolated projections interposed between the basket andreceiving-vessel, substantially as Set forth.

2. In apcentrifugal machine, the combination of an outer casing, aconical separating drum or basket and a conical receiving Vessel,secured concentrically upon independent shafts and adapted to rotateWithin the casing, and a series of retarding and regulating teeth orisolated projections interposed between the basket and receivingyessel,substantially as set forth.

3. In a centrifugal machine, the combination of an outer casing, aconical separating drum or basket and a conical receiving-Vessel, eachadapted to rotate Within the casing,

separating-basket, substantially as set forth. 4o

. HUGH WV. LAFFERTY.

Witnesses:

ABNER J'. DAVIS, JAMES H. SHIELDs.

